Fraser Forster’s return to Celtic may not be of consequence to Hearts immediately (aside form the possibility of him playing against them on Sunday) but could have an impact come the end of this season.

Neil Lennon has moved to bring the big Geordie back to Celtic Park on a season-long from Southampton after Scott Bain was ruled out for up to six weeks.

With Craig Gordon to step in, Celtic aren’t exactly light on experience and quality between the sticks.

However, it’s unlikely Forster has been brought in purely as back up. The fact that his signing was announced during last night’s Europa League qualifying play-off first leg win over AIK, in which Gordon kept a clean sheet, doesn’t exactly bode well for the 54-times capped Scotland international.

So where do Hearts come in to the equation? Gordon almost rejoined his formative club back in 2014 before Celtic made an offer a player at that stage of his career couldn’t logically turn down.

After several season as first choice, Scott Bain’s arrival under Brendan Rodgers provided competition and the ex-Dundee man established himself as Celtic’s number one.

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Gordon had talked about being uncertain what his future plans were as he entered the final year of his deal over the summer, and just this week was glad to be back in the team following Bain's injury and Lennon seemingly having more trust in him than Rodgers did.

He of course stated his intention to fight for his place this season, but it feels as if his time at Celtic will come to a natural conclusion next year.

Hearts were again linked with a move for Gordon this summer, although with a year left to run on his contract it was less likely than before.

Craig Levein had stated in the summer that the goalkeeping position was being looked at as a priority. That changed after Bobby Zlamal’s indifferent start to the season, and Joel Pereira has since arrived on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

The Portuguese is clearly at Tynecastle to play. If Zlamal remains beyond the end of the transfer window, it’s unlikely he’ll be offered a new deal before his current one expires in the summer.

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Pereira will return to Old Trafford at the end of his loan, and a recent one-year extension to Colin Doyle’s contract means Levein will have a serviceable back-up but once again be on the look-out for a new number one.

His relationship with Gordon is good, having handed him a first-team debut in 2002 and made him his first choice for Scotland. With Gordon out of contract next year and by then 37, there’s almost a sense of inevitability of him returning to Hearts for the final year or two of his career, potentially with the view to beginning a coaching career if that’s the road he wants to go down.

That may be a somewhat sentimental notion. However, as a reliable first choice before the transition to a younger replacement (Harry Stone is highly rated by still only 17 so maybe a bit soon for him), Hearts could do a lot worse.

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